Monday, April 9, 2012

Glutes

This week’s workout: Glutes

This workout will be great for anyone who wants to tighten and strengthen their glutes as well as improve their glute/hamstring tie in. Proper hip and shoulder alignment is imperative in order to really draw properly from the glute. So many folks go through the motions to work the glutes but don't even engage them. Instead they overwork the low back or even worse apply pressure to the knees. If you are doing a leg press and you feel your pelvis come under neath you then what is going to get that leg press up? Your glute? No, your back. Why does the pelvis shift under? The axis of your hip is off. Your flexibility is limiting what muscles are firing on your body.

If you have spent years working on your glutes and you can turn around and say they are flat then I suggest you start working your upper half a little more. Forward shoulder posture, trap dominance and posterior hips will all cause a flat bottom and a consistently strained lower back. Its easy to see a trainer once a week and expect results, but if you are not doing your homework daily, don't expect to see them. Stretching and foam rolling need to become second nature to you. No more excuses. Change your body by first changing your flexibility. Have a NASM or Chek certified trainer assess your body and show you what is weak on your body and what is strong. They can show you what needs to be lengthened and what needs to be strengthened. Don't foam roll and stretch 2 days a week, do it everyday and watch your body change.

Don't expect to change whats down below until you address the imbalances up top. They are very much in the same family and effect each others progress. Enjoy training your glutes!